If you are a huge fan of the show and don’t have the voice or confidence to try out for the real thing then American Idol, the game, is probably as close as you can come to getting on TV. If you have access to a PS2 I think you’ll find that game significantly better, but if you prefer to take your talent show on the road then the GBA version gets the job done.

Even so, with the limited scope in gameplay, primitive graphics, and repetitive comments from the judges, this is a game best left for the bargain bin, a weekend rental, or perhaps just skip it altogether.

I know it’s tempting for companies to attempt to bring a game to every possible game system, but sometimes you really don’t need a portable version. American Idol just didn’t need to be ported to the GameBoy Advance; I cannot imagine there is a market that’s demanding to get chewed out by Simon no matter where they are. It’s far from the worst game on Nintendo’s portable, but comes real close to being the most unnecessary. Life is too short to spend even a second playing this ugly mess of a rhythm game.